Sierra Nevada Corp. receives Dream Chaser launch window

Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) has received NASA’s authority to proceed for the Dream Chaser spacecraft’s first mission, with a launch window for late 2020. The mission will provide cargo resupply to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services Contract 2 (CRS2).

“SNC has been successfully completing critical design milestones as approved by NASA and having a timetable for the first launch is another important step achieved for us,” said Fatih Ozmen, owner and CEO of SNC. “The team has worked so hard to get to this point and we can’t wait to fulfill this mission for NASA.”

Dream Chaser capabilities:

• Delivers up to 5,500kg (12,125 lb) of pressurized and unpressurized supplies and scientific research payloads

• Remains attached to the space station for extended periods, so crew can transfer cargo and perform science laboratory operations

• Flying laboratory that allows scientists to send commands, receive data in real-time

• Powered payload science experiments can operate continuously during the mission

• Critical science is conducted from the pressurized cabin (crew-tended or autonomous)

• Unpressurized cargo/experiments are transferred to or from the space station via robotic operations

• Returns up to 2,000kg of cargo via pinpoint landing at NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) for immediate post-landing handover to customer, maximizing integrity of data collected on-orbit

“The Dream Chaser is going to be a tremendous help to the critical science and research happening on the space station,” said Mark Sirangelo, executive vice president of SNC’s Space Systems business area. “Receiving NASA’s authority to proceed is a big step for the program. We can’t wait to see the vehicle return to Kennedy Space Center to a runway landing, allowing immediate access to the science payloads being returned from the station.”